Endless Night
by xXTwilightFan07Xx
Summary: -I do not own twilight or its characters- Ryan is an 18 year old boy living in Seattle where murders are on the rise. After a faithful encounter with his missing friend Riley, he finds his life intertwined with Seattle's dangerous and mythical secret. R
1. The Recruit

1. The Recruit

I was living in Seattle when It happened. It was the Day that my whole life would change; for better or for worse? I don't know. My Name is Ryan Reeves and up until that day, I was just like anybody else. I was eighteen years old with a world of opportunities ahead of me. That day started out normal enough, my mother Omega, called me down for breakfast, and as usual I was out like a light.

"Ryan! If I have to scream up there one more time..!" My mom threatened

"Alright, Alright!" I half-yawned, half shouted as I ripped the blankets from my all too comfortable body. The cold hit me like a speeding car and I shivered as I threw on a blue hooded sweatshirt.

When I arrived downstairs, the usual smell of bacon, eggs and toast wafted through the air, making me salivate almost instantly. Omega had already set my place at the table and had a plate waiting for me, as was the case almost every day. As I sat down, my Mother gave me one of her many stern looks. Omega was very pretty. She stood at 5"6 with caramel skin, and a smile that could light up the abyss. Her eyes were dark brown, almost black, and her nose was slightly round…but not big. She had her hair styled up into braids so it was easy to maintain.

"Why do you insist on setting the alarm, If you're not gonna' wake up?" My mom cracked a smile as she asked this but kept her ground.

"Well I do intend on waking up…it's just the alarm isn't loud enough to penetrate my sleep." I tried to sound as angelic as possible as I answered her question

"We'll just have to get a louder one. But seriously Ryan…you do this every day…aren't you tired of arriving late to your classes?"

"It's not like I can't keep up with the work--"

"That's not the point" Omega cut me off before I could finish my defense "Your getting later and later each day…are you sure you can handle school and work?" My mom looked worried as she said this

This was my routine, classes in the morning and work at night. It was very draining, but I couldn't let my mom know that. I wanted to pay for my own school bill. My mother and my father didn't make much money, as they both worked full time at my father's own church.

"Yes mom, I can handle it." I tried to sound as genuine as possible. It worked. My mom gave me a kiss on the forehead, told me to have a good day and left to meet my father at the church.

I shoveled down my breakfast and ran upstairs into the bathroom. I paused and stared into the mirror, grimacing at my reflection. I was short for my age only about 5'8 and I shared my mother's caramel complexion and her dark brown eyes. My nose was round like hers, but kind of big. A trait I blamed my father for. My hair was dark and very curly…and it threatened to become a retro afro.

"I've got to remember to stop at the barber shop today" I thought to myself

After a quick shower, and throwing on some clothes I headed out the door and began my walk to school. Fortunately the community college, my job---a little convenience store---and the church were within walking distance. My little gold 97' cavalier was usually stationary in the driveway. My mom insisted I drive, especially with the sudden surge in murders, but I told her I needed the exercise.

I walked into class ten minutes late and my professor gave his usual "Have a nice sleep, Reeves?" greeting as I took my seat. Calculus was my least favorite class, but I always managed at least a B or low A. The professor was a short, balding man with thick glasses that gave him the appearance of an owl. His loud, Hawaiian, button down shirts added to his strange look.

"Hey Buddy, today were working on the Sin Curve".

"Thanks Ray!" I said graciously to the boy sitting beside me.

Ray was one of my best friends. We'd been in classes together since High School and we always had each others' backs. Ray was of Filipino descent, and was almost as dark as I was. He was approximately my height and always wore the most stylish clothes.

"So, any plans for tonight?" Ray asked grinning at me.

"We'll I'm stuck at work until 10, but after I'm game for anything."

Ray and I conversed through the entire class—without getting caught of course—and pretty soon the bell rang signaling the next class. All my classes were pretty much a blur and before I knew it, it was 4 O'clock.

The sun was starting to get lower in the sky and it began to darken as I walked my way to work. The little convenience store –Mikey's—was situated on a corner. The usual missing posters adorned the walls of the shop, reading _Have You Seen this Boy? _ The boy in the picture was a blonde boy, with slightly handsome features . His name was Riley and up until a few weeks ago he was my co-worker.

I walked into the shop and approached my boss who was standing behind the only register in the store.

"Hey Mr. Fitzpatrick, what do you want me to do today?" I asked shrugging out of my coat and pulling on a brown Mikey's apron.

"Go ahead and begin straightening up aisle 4." He sighed and stared at another poster of Riley taped next to him on the counter.

I could tell that Mr. Fitzpatrick missed him a lot. He was almost like a son to him. I never had the relationship with Mr. Fitzpatrick that Riley did. They went on fishing trips often together and were always laughing and joking at work. When Riley disappeared the atmosphere became very gloomy, almost dismal.

The night pretty much continued on in that fashion, with Mr. Fitzpatrick giving me orders…and staring blankly at the missing poster on his desk.

When Ten O' Clock came around I gladly shrugged out of my vest and headed out of the door without a second glance at the sad scene that was Mr. Fitzpatrick mourning the loss of Riley.

It was pretty dark as I took my usual path home, but I knew I would be okay if I stuck to my normal route. I was about half a block away when I heard it, The low but distinct sound of someone crying . It was a while before I figured out that it was coming from an alley just to my left.

Against my better judgment I began walking towards the sound. At first I couldn't see anything, but then In the distance I spotted her. She had flaming red hair and her face was buried in her hands. She was sitting on the ground sobbing loudly. Feeling braver now I walked to her and sat down next to her.

"Hey, Miss…..are you ok?" I asked hesitantly placing a hand on her shoulder.

She stopped sobbing and turned to face me slowly. What I saw when I looked at her was a shock. Her skin was paler then anyone's skin I had ever seen . Her eyes were a crimson red, the likes of which I had never seen before. When she spoke it was very high-pitched almost child-like…yet it was beautiful.

"Yes I'm fine my dear….I just need a friend…I'm very lonely…will you be my friend?" she spoke in a sorrowful voice. She then placed her hand on my face waiting for my answer.

I gasped. Her touch was like plunging my face into the Arctic Ocean. Still taken aback by the coldness of her skin I answered slowly.

"umm…of course I'll be your friend"

"Oh good…Riley , darling, looks like we've got us another recruit"

I looked up confused at her words. _What did she mean "Recruit?" _and _Could she be talking about the same Riley who went missing weeks ago?"_

I soon got my answer as another figured walked very gracefully into the alley way. He had blonde hair and he looked like he should be a model. There was no flaw to be found on his face and he shared the same pale skin and crimson eyes as the woman sitting next to me, but I knew that this was the same Riley I once knew.

"You're…you're alive." I stammered as he drew closer

"Alive, and better than ever." He responded. His voice was almost unrecognizable. It had become a smooth tenor…the likes of which would make any girl swoon.

"Hello Victoria, My love." He continued. "So who shall we be recruiting tonight?" He looked down at me and when He saw me, a slight smile formed across his face.

"Is there something amusing about this one?" asked Victoria in her child like voice

"I used to know this one…In my other life"

" Other life! ? Riley it's me Ryan!" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

In one swift movement Victoria covered my mouth with her ice cold hand and stopped any sound from escaping. "There, There" she said "We don't want anyone to hear you scream."

At this I began to panic and struggled to get free, but Victoria was impossibly strong and held my waste with her free hand and my mouth with the other.

"May I have the honor?" Riley chuckled as he bent down, his face now level with mine.

"Of course, just don't kill him." Victoria commanded.

With her hand she lifted my shirt and revealed my upper body. A startling growl came from Riley as he looked hungrily at my exposed flesh. He leaned his face to my side and assessed a good place to start. He took one last look at Victoria and sank his teeth into my side. My scream was muffled by Victoria's hand and unconsciousness began to overtake me as Riley drank my blood.

Blackness took over as I gave in to my death._ What a mysterious way to go._ Was the last thought in my head. Before I completely lost consciousness there was an excruciating pain in my side as if riley's teeth were forcefully being ripped off of me. The Last thing I heard was Victoria screaming "I told you not to kill him!" and I then I lost all consciousness.

Dying wasn't so scary. It was just like falling asleep, forever.

But that's when the real pain started.

It started from the wound on my side, working its way up to my shoulder. It felt as though lava was circulating through me instead of blood. "_Could lava be this painful? _" The horrible burning was taking over the whole right half of my body and my heart began to beat at an alarming rate. _"If I'm dead…why does it hurt so much….am I in …hell?"_

All these thoughts flooded my mind as the pain took total control over my body. My heart was practically fluttering now as it threatened to break through my rib cage. I don't know what it was that stopped me from screaming--my will power, or the fact that I was dead--but I stayed silent and endured my personal torture.

At that moment the burning began to recede into my chest….into my heart. If possible, it seemed my heart started thudding even faster and harder, all the pain receding from my limbs yet all concentrated in my heart. It was then that there was a last dull thud from my chest and all the pain ended—along with the beating of my heart.


	2. An Out Of Body Experience

2. An Out of Body Experience

I was sure I was dead…except for one thing. I was still aware. _ Are you supposed to be so aware when you're dead?_ I wondered to myself. I opened my eyes to see that I seemed to be in a tightly enclosed space. Though I knew perfectly well that it should be pitch-black, I could see perfectly clear. I could see the shiny black gator skinned shoes on my feet, the chocolate brown dress suit and the turquoise shirt I wore underneath. None of this seemed to make sense. In the back of my mind there was a hint of a memory of me not being able to see clearly without my contacts lenses, yet here I was seeing straight through the darkness. I could see perfectly the velvet red that seemed to line the space I was in.

I lifted my head up a little, trying to make sense of my surroundings. As If my newly improved sight wasn't enough, I began to hear voices somewhere from above me. They should have been muffled by the box I was in but I could hear perfectly clear. The voices weren't speaking…they seemed to be crying.

I could hear the faint brushing of tissues being pulled from their boxes and a few comforting words being spoken here and there. It was then that a clear voice rang out from somewhere a –a few feet it seemed—behind my dark box.

"We are here today, not to mourn the passing of a young one, but the celebration of his life…" Instantly I felt like I should know this voice. Clouded memories of it plagued my mind until the answer finally came to me. It was my father. Where my memories fading?

His voice continued with authority but there was a hint of sorrow in it. "Losing my youngest son has been the most agonizing experience…" he trailed on, as I struggled to put two and two together in my mind

And suddenly it dawned on me. The velvet lined box I was laying in…was my coffin. I should have panicked at the thought of being at my own funeral but the panic never came. Instead I just inhaled taking a deep breath trying to sort through this.

That's when I got the first scent. It was powerful and mouth-watering in every way. The scent made me realize just how hungry…or thirsty I was. There was a sudden fire in my throat and I clutched at it in protest. I've never felt such a painful thirst in my life. I gasped trying to recollect myself. As I lay in agony I could hear the heartbeats of about 50 people, blood coursing through their veins.

The sound alone seemed so…_enticing. _

My throat felt so dry and agonizingly raw. I needed to drink something. I thought of all the ways I could get out. I thought of the hearts beating fresh warm blood through each and every person's veins. I thought of the pain burning down my throat. It was amazing the number of thoughts my mind seemed to be able to process, but there was one reoccurring theme to my thoughts that I couldn't ignore. _Blood. _It seemed to be more of a necessity than a need. It was an absolutely irresistible desire.

"What have I become?" I choked out.

"So your finally awake..I thought I killed you." A familiar smooth voice chimed out from somewhere next to me

Normally I would have been startled by the sudden surprise of not being alone, but none of my normal reactions seemed to be kicking in. I stayed quiet waiting for the voice to answer.

"You are aware of where you are, correct?" He continued on before I could answer "Than you understand the need to be quiet."

"Riley?" I spoke in a voice that was barely a whisper but I knew he would hear me. "What am I?"

Riley let out a little chuckle before he answered. "You're one of us. You're a Vampire."

The word answered some of my questions like how I was still alive and it certainly explained my newly acquired desire for blood but it brought up a million new questions.

As If he knew I was a about to ask Riley spoke before I could ask any questions. "Listen do you hear that?"

The burning thirst in my throat made it hard to concentrate on anything other than the heartbeats and the blood flowing through the veins so easily in reach above me but I tried to concentrate on listening.

There seemed to be footsteps walking slowly away from the spot where I lay feigning death. I could hear car doors opening and vehicles driving out onto a busy street. There where police sirens sounding so my guess was that my funeral procession was moving elsewhere.

"They're leaving." I said a little louder. I was surprised by the smooth, dark tone that was my voice despite the unbearable thirst.

"You're a natural." There was a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

The pain in my throat became almost too much and I struggled to hold back a scream.

"Can we leave now?" A hint of agony straining my perfect new voice

"Soon. It would be easier to leave when the Sun goes down." Riley said calmly

It was another two agonizing hours before I heard Riley speak again. This time his voice was louder since no one was around to hear our conversation.

"Now we can leave." There was almost a hint of humor in his voice.

"Ummm How do I…get out?" I murmured, now fully aware of my current situation.

"You dig."

I hesitated for a second, than I placed my hand on the underside of the top of my coffin. Expecting resistance I pushed hard with all of my might. A few things happened in that instant. The top of my coffin went flying through the earth above me, and all of the dirt collapsed down on me.

I panicked gasping as I began to be buried under the crumbling earth. With little effort I swiftly sat up, bent my knees and jumped pushing myself through the wall of dirt and high into the night sky. I looked down at the scene below me. The top of the coffin had been flung twenty feet away from its original spot and was snapped in half. There was a hole in the mound of dirt that I had been buried in where I jumped through.

With a quick back flip I landed on my feet, right on top of my own tombstone.

"A little too much muscle champ" I heard Riley snicker

I watched as he emerged easily from the grave that was beside mine.

"You're gonna have to clean that up." He continued jokingly

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up into a smile. Then I felt the sharp searing pain in my throat again. Riley looked at my expression for a second then he smiled a tiny bit.

"You must be very thirsty by now."

I nodded, afraid that If I spoke I would scream.

"Well then, it looks like its time for your first hunt."

The word hunt sent a shiver down my spine and a low snarl issued out from my suddenly bared teeth. That took me by surprise and I looked at Riley a little shocked at my behavior. He just laughed and walked next to the tomb stone I was still standing on.

"Hunting will be first nature to you, after time you will even grow to like it. Hell, you'll probably start to like it tonight."

I simply nodded and waited for him to take the lead. Then with Impossible speed he ran to the entrance of the cemetery, which was 102 yards from where I was standing. I was amazed at how I could simply calculate these things in my head, but I was worried that I would never be able to keep up.

"Its Easy…just run!" Riley reassured me.

I look at my suit. That wasn't going to help matters. I tried to remember if I was a good runner or not, but the fuzzy memories I pulled up involved me gasping for air while running around the track in gym class, and that was without the suit.

I jumped nimbly from the tombstone. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, especially with my newly enhanced coordination. I took a deep breath—though I know I didn't really need it—and I ran. It was absolutely exhilarating. The scenery passed by, but it wasn't blurry like It should be when you move this fast. I could still see every detail of all of my surroundings perfectly clearly. I easily dodged every tombstone and obstacle surrounding me as I ran. All too soon I was standing at Riley's side 2 seconds later.

"Wow." Was the only word I could get out.

"I thought you might enjoy that." Riley said with a grin

"What Now?" I said, remembering my thirst.

"First things first," Riley put a hand on my shoulder as he began to lead me to the side of the road where a red mustang was parked. "I need to explain some things."

We raced back to the city at incredible speeds, but I was positive running was much more exhilarating then driving fast. During the car ride, Riley was explaining how we needed to keep our existence unknown.

"So, It's better to hunt in secret." I concluded as he finished his explanation

"Exactly, In a city like Seattle. Your best bet is usually stragglers who stumble into Alley ways."

I nodded taking in everything I was taught. Finally he parked the car next to a large night club. There was an alley way between the club and the building across from it. I knew this would probably be easy. I watched as most people filed out of the club in groups. The scent alone was sending daggers of pain down my throat. When I thought I wouldn't be able to take it any longer, a lone girl walked into the Alley.

"Go get her." Riley encouraged

I got out of the car and began to walk into the alley when something caught my eye. I was standing near a reflective glass wall from the large building. I realized now that I hadn't been able to see my new appearance. I looked at my reflection inspecting myself. My face was me, yet it was much more attractive than before. My caramel complexion had lightened up a few shades and my jaw line was chiseled almost as if from stone. My hair had been cut and perfectly shaped up for the funeral. It was my eyes that shocked me. I know my eyes seemed dark before but they were pure black now and there were shadows under my eyes as if I hadn't slept. All in all I was satisfied.

After I was finished the inspection, I continued into the Alley. I knew I would be able to find the girl easily her sent was strong. It was like roses and honey, so alluring. I found her about to turn around because she had just hit a dead end.

"Miss? You shouldn't be out here all alone. It's dangerous you know." I knew my voice would be completely alluring to her

She turned around apparently about to tell me off for scaring her, but when she saw my face her mouth gaped open. Then she finally managed to recollect her thoughts.

"I'm…uhhh fine." She said breathlessly

I looked at her, she was wearing a bright yellow dress. It was short and form fitting. She was tan and had silky black shoulder length hair. Her eyes were a vivid green. My assessment was that she was a very pretty human.

"Are you sure? Anything could happen to you out here." I stepped closer to her and sniffed her hair. She froze. Her sent made the pain in my throat so much more intense…but it was hard to resist taking in her scent.

Suddenly she found an opening under my arm and bolted for the other end of the alley. I laughed to myself. "So you're going to make this difficult.''

I leapt about 30 feet onto a fire escape lining the alley way to look for her. I spotted her nearing the opening of the alley. I jumped down and landed at the opening without a sound. She was looking behind her while she was running so she ran right into me. She looked up and opened her mouth to scream but I muffled her scream and pulled her back into the alley before she could. I could smell the blood running through her veins. I assessed a good place to start, then I sunk my teeth into her jugular. It was easy to pierce her skin, like biting into pudding.

Her blood was like nothing I've ever tasted. It was everything I needed and everything I desired at the same time. I felt it sliding smooth and warm down my throat and relieving the pain as it went. After a while the blood stopped coming and her body fell limp to the ground. I lifted her and threw her in a dumpster and set it on fire. I was confused as to why I had to burn her but Riley had told me to do so in his explanation.

As I began to leave the alley I stopped and noticed a change in my reflection. My eyes instead of jet black were now a brilliant crimson red. I smiled menacingly at my blood soaked face and then walked back to the car.

Riley was waiting inside with a smile on his face as well.

"Well that was certainly fun to watch, You're not much of a charmer though. We definitely need to work on your pick up lines" He teased

"It got the job done though" I said and I punched him playfully on the arm

"Ouch!" he winced

"Sorry! Guess I don't know my own strength yet." I said apologetically

"Whatever. Now clean yourself up. We've got a meeting to go to."

And with that we raced off into the night to a mysterious meeting. I really had no idea what to expect next.


	3. The Gathering

3. The Gathering

When I looked at the time on the car center console it read 11:34 pm. We'd only been driving for about twenty minutes when Riley started slowing the car down. A scent that I didn't quite recognize wafted through my nose. It was strong like there were many of whatever it might be gathered into one place. It smelled sweet, yet not like blood. Riley's scent actually reminded me somewhat of the scent, or scents, I smelled at the moment. That's when I put two and two together.

"Vampires?" my voice was calm but I was quite anxious about the prospect of meeting more vampires.

"Lots of them." he looked at me and raised an eyebrow as if he was catching on to my mood. I quickly turned to stare out of the window, looking at the scenery around us.

This obviously would be considered a bad neighborhood. The buildings were close together and decrepit, and most of them where abandoned. Every other window was either smashed or boarded up and graffiti was a prominent feature on most of the townhouses. The broken down houses were accented by the liter filled streets.

I laughed to myself thinking that now I was one of the most dangerous things in this neighborhood, well me and the dozen or so other vampires who were in the area.

After about 5 more minutes of driving, Riley finally pulled into the driveway of what had to be the most run down of all the houses. He turned off the car and in the same second he dashed up the stairs that led to the front door. I froze for a fraction of a second and then I dashed up the stairs next to him.

"You ready for this?" he murmured

"As ready as I'll ever be."

With that he opened the door and we stepped inside. There was hissing from every direction and in response a hiss issued from between my teeth and in a fraction of a second I changed my stance from standing to crouching, ready to strike at any moment.

I surveyed the room, there were about twenty or so vampires in the room, some with crimson eyes, some with eyes black as coal, but no matter the color they were all locked on me. Most of the vampires were in crouching positions like me, while some others were just watching, curiosity burning in their eyes.

Riley put a hand on my shoulder. "Relax buddy, we are all friends here."

I hesitated than finally I straightened up and relaxed the scowl on my face. It was quiet in the room until a deep, baritone voice spoke up.

"So who's the corpse in the suit?"

A couple of onlookers chuckled. I looked for the source of the voice and found it belonged to a short, stocky vampire with his dirty-blonde hair gelled back.

Riley responded with a hint of amusement in his voice "This is who we've been waiting for to start the meeting, Bill."

Just then a female passed gracefully through the tight crowd and stood right in front of me. Her eyes were red but a hint of blackness was overtaking them. She was small, around 5'5 or so, and her short jet black hair stood out vividly from her porcelain pale skin. She was wearing a black, short sleeve, tight fitting band shirt and blue jeans.

It was like a chirping of birds when she spoke. "So you're whose been keeping us waiting?"

Then she smiled and I couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm Bree by the way." She continued and then she extended her hand. I grasped her hand expecting cold, but it felt normal and smooth.

"I'm Ryan, It's very nice to meet you."

While we were talking, Riley made his way silently through the crowd to the front of the room. He stood on a raised platform and faced everyone. When he spoke it was in a quiet voice but my hearing could pick up on it very easily.

"Ok so I guess I should tell you why you are here…..Why you have been created."

At the moment everyone's eyes were locked on Riley, waiting for the answer to the question most of us we're probably asking ourselves. _What is our purpose?_

Riley finally continued after what seemed like an eternity

"You have been created to be an Army of sorts."

At that moment, the same vampire who spoke when I first arrived spoke up first. I remembered his name was Bill.

"So you're telling me we were dragged from our normal lives and made to endure excruciating pain for three days just to die in some war?" Bill's voice was furious and it echoed around the room

A female voice answered in a soothing alto voice full of sorrow " I had a husband and kids, who I can barely remember now and you're telling me I'm just going to die again?"

The room erupted with hissing and growling as vampires feuded their opinions against each other's. Some vampires we're crouched and ready to fight each other. I took that moment to glance down at Bree who was standing at my side. She looked so small. I wondered how could she be used in this war. The idea made me shudder.

Just then, I was hit by a very powerful, alluring scent. It was human but it was like no scent I had ever smelled before. It had a floral smell to it like freesia and lavender. I looked up to see the source of the scent. Everyone in the room seemed to focus on the scent as well.

Riley stood in the middle of the room holding up a red fabric. Or maybe it was a shirt.

"This," he said nodding to the shirt "Is what we are after, the very reason for our army, and the first one of you to find her is lucky enough to claim her blood as your own. She lives in a small town called Forks."

A husky, copper-skinned female vampire spoke up "So why do we need an army, Just to find this one human?"

Riley answered in a gentle voice. "This _human_…" he stressed the word 'human' "Is being protected by a coven of 7 vampires, three of which, have abilities beyond that of a normal vampire."

A few of the vampires in the room smiled menacingly at the challenge while others were still dissatisfied.

It was Bill who spoke next. "So you expect me to risk my life, just for one human? There are plenty of humans in the city."

"If you're a coward maybe you should leave." It was a tall, bald vampire leaning on the banister of the stairs on the side of the room who spoke. He was wearing a red flannel shirt and a cowboy hat.

In a fraction of a section Bill had leapt over the crowd and tackled the cowboy vampire to the ground. Most of the vampires in the room gathered around to watch, Bree snuck out of the door and out of site. I stayed to try to get a good glimpse of the fight. Vicious snarls and growls issued from the middle of the crowd. Then after 10 minutes there was a new sound. It was like metal being scraped upon by something sharp. Abruptly after that there was silence.

I understood what had happened immediately. The fight had turned fatal and some vampire was missing a limb or two. I walked out of the house to try to look for Bree. I picked up her scent from somewhere above me, and finally a heard humming coming from the roof. I scaled the side of the building easily and found her sitting with her hands around her knees near the edge of the roof. I walked over and took a seat next to her.

"Was that too much for you?" I asked with concern in my velvet voice

She turned to look at me and a slight smile slowly formed across her face

"Sadly I'm quite used to it. There have been a couple of fights like that over the past couple weeks. You're new. I guess I should be asking if you're ok."

I smiled. "I'm fine as long as you are."

I was sincere when I said this. I just couldn't help happy around Bree. In the short time I've known her I've grown quite attached.

She sighed and her face grew solemn.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just wondering…do you ever think of your family?" her voice was gentle as she asked this

I took a minute before I answered, trying to find the exact words I wanted to say.

"It's hard to remember, but I try and I do think of them."

I tried to remember my mother Omega's caramel skin and gentle warm smile, My father's boisterous laughter and his graying hair. I smiled because it was so easy to remember them. Bree finally broke me out of my silent dreaming.

"It just feels like with each passing day, the memory of my love ones fades more and more."

I put my arm around her reassuringly and she rested her head on my shoulder.

"Maybe you just need to think of them every day to help retain your memory."

She didn't answer so I figured that was the end of the conversation. I didn't realize how long we sat like that but I noticed the sun beginning to rise over the horizon.

I broke the silence first. "I guess this means we should get inside."

"No, stay…please" Bree pleaded with me

I looked at her and then at the sun rising higher into the sky. I figured nothing good could come of me being a vampire and sitting in the sun.

As if she was reading my thoughts, Bree chuckled and answered my unasked question.

"It won't hurt you, just wait."

I waited a watched as the sun hit her skin. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. Her skin usually so pale before, was glittering like there were thousands of diamonds embedded into her skin. Tiny rainbows were being reflected from her skin onto the roof. I looked at my own hands-- they were glittering just as beautifully. I was shocked.

"So this is why we can't be in the sun." I gasped

Bree nodded and then I looked at her eyes. They were as black as coal now and shadows had developed under her eyes.

"You're thirsty. I'll have to take you hunting later."

She chuckled and pulled on the sleeve of my suit jacket. "And I'll have to take you to get better clothes."

I looked at her and smiled. "It's a date."


	4. Accidents Happen

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**Random Writer thank you for reading and reviewing I'm glad you enjoy it. I'll definitely try to slow the story down. This chapter is a little shorter than the others but here it is without further ado.**

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4. Accidents Happen

I stood up leaning over the edge of the roof, a little worried about what I was attempting to do. I had always been afraid of heights…well at least I think I was. This was a lot higher than the fire escape I jumped from the night before. I watched as several curious vampires emerged from the inside of the house to watch the show. Riley was one of them and he looked up at me with a mischievous smile on his face. Bree, who had already jumped down gracefully, was standing beside him. Her smile was nothing but encouraging.

"What's the matter, afraid of a tiny little jump?" Riley chuckled

I saw Bree nudge him sharply in the side and then she turned her attention back towards me.

"You can do it Ryan, It's very simple. Just close your eyes"

I took her advice and closed my eyes. I took one big step forward and fell. The rush of wind I had expected didn't come. I opened my eyes to see that I seemed to be falling very slowly like I was wearing a parachute, or at least that's how it felt to me because a half second later my feet landed on the ground without so much as a dull thud.

"Well that was fun." I said proud of myself

Immediately I went to find Riley. I wanted to ask him a favor. He was still standing next to Bree when I found him.

"Hey Riley mind if I borrow your car?"

"Sure, just make sure to have it back before sunset I have someone to meet…." And his voice trailed off like he said a bit too much.

I didn't think anything of it and I took the keys from his outstretched hands. A second later I was opening the driver's side door and sticking the key in the Ignition. When I looked back, I saw Bree watching me with concern clear on her face. I raced out from the shady neighborhood as fast as I could. I was weaving in and out of traffic at top speeds, trying to hurry up and arrive at my destination. This car couldn't move fast enough for me.

The conversation with Bree the other night, really had me thinking about my family. Now that I knew what was out there –and now that I was one of them—I just had to check in and see if they were ok.

It was only ten minutes later when I finally arrived on that street I used to live on. Just to be cautious I parked on the other side of the street. Though the windows on Riley's car were tinted, I could see out of them clearly. I gazed into a window of my house searching for signs of life when something in the front yard caught my eye.

It was a for sale sign. Instantly, relief flooded through me. My family would be escaping the nightmare that is Seattle. I smiled at the prospect of my family being somewhere safe and out of danger. Then I heard a voice coming from the second floor. It was delicate and warm. It was a voice that could only belong to my mother.

"…but why New Jersey out of all places?" She pleaded

A deeper husky voice answered. I recognized it at once. It was my father.

"Because it's safe."

His answer was determined and final. I knew my mother couldn't argue with him.

I watched as my father wearing a blue suit and a hardened expression descended the stairs followed closely by my mother. Her face looked like she hadn't slept in days. I tried to take in every feature of my parents –no matter how sad-- before they disappeared out of my sight. Every single glimpse could help me remember them….forever.

I heard another set of footsteps approaching the stairs. I was surprised to see my older brother Nathan walk down the stairs. He must have come home from college for my funeral. My brother was a lot taller than me, about 6'3. If I was human I would have said he was a lot more handsome as well, but now he would have trouble keeping up with me. I laughed a little at the thought of me being better looking for once.

There was movement in the house on the other side of mine and the front door opened. Ray came stumbling out of the house with garbage bags in his hand. I watched him as he walked half a block to an small alley where the dumpster was.

It was then that a tiny little girl emerged from somewhere off to the side of my car. I recognized her at once. Bree must have followed me on foot after I left. If she wanted to talk to me why didn't she just get in the car? I wondered to myself

She continued walking and rounded the corner where Ray had just gone to take out his trash. Realization hit me suddenly as I remembered how black her eyes had been this morning.

"Shit!" I said to no one in particular.

I started up the car a raced down to the alley. I parked the car at the opening and jumped out searching for Bree and Ray. I found her closing in on him. Ray was just standing there with a look of confusion on his face.

"Bree! Stop! Don't do this!" I shouted as I closed the distance between us.

She turned around and looked at me. From the look of her face she was in agony.

"But it hurts so much…" she clutched at her throat "I just need…an appetizer."

She took another step closer to Ray. His face changed from confusion to horror when he saw me standing there. He raised a finger to point at me, his mouth gaping open.

"B-But Your ….D-d-dead." He finally managed to sputter out.

The situation became dire as I realized Ray shouldn't know that I'm alive. I thought of all of my options, or lack thereof. _I could kill him._ The thought alone sent a shiver down my spine and I shook my head at the though. My thoughts were interrupted when Bree leapt forward and sunk her teeth into the side of Ray's neck.

Panic overtook me. "Bree, stop this, please."

I watched as she hesitated for a second but resumed drinking Ray's blood.

"Bree, please, for me?"

She hesitated a little longer this time but she put her mouth back to Ray's neck.

Suddenly I was overcome with Rage. My best friend was being killed and I was just standing here helpless. I would not be helpless anymore. I would force her to stop. My vision seemed to take on a red tint as a yelled once more.

"Bree stop!"

It wasn't begging or a plea. It was an order and my voice rang with authority. Bree stopped suddenly and Ray's unconscious body fell to the ground. She turned around slowly to face me. Her face was blank like she was in some sort of daze.

"Get in the car." I ordered

She walked to the car in some trance like state. The scent of Ray's blood filled the air and my throat ached with thirst. I ran to the driver's side door, turned on the car and sped off, leaving Ray unconscious and bleeding in the alley. It was all I could do to stop myself from finishing him off myself.

It was quiet during the car ride back to the slums so I had plenty of time to think about what had just happened. _What would happen to Ray's family? Would they move away just like mine?_ It was horrible to think Ray's tiny little mother suffering like mine had, especially since she was a single mother.

It wasn't until we parked the car in front of the run down house that I finally decided to break the silence.

"Why did you follow me?" My voice came out harsher than I intended and I saw Bree jump a little out of the corner of my eye.

She hesitated. " I was …concerned. I thought maybe you would want some company. But I was so thirsty..and that boy came out of his house…"

She glanced over at me expecting some reaction. I kept my face blank waiting for her to continue.

"That boy….you knew him?"

This time I kept my voice calm. "Yes. He was my best friend."

I saw her cover her face in shame, and I wanted so badly to pat her on the back and tell her everything was going to be okay, but it wasn't. What about Ray? His lifeless body just lying there, abandoned. What about his mother? Would everything be okay for her when she found out? I knew that saying it would be okay would just be a lie so I just let her have a moment before I spoke up.

"So How did you stop?" I said as I recalled my first hunt. Everything about her blood drew me in. The taste of her blood sent me into a sort of frenzy that was pure bliss. I knew I wouldn't, no _couldn't _stop until all her blood was gone.

Bree looked at my face considering something before she answered.

"You stopped me."

"No…I didn't even touch you…" I said confused by her words

"Not physically so much as mentally" She continued "It was your voice…your words that stopped me."

"What do you mean?" I asked still confused

"You told me to stop and it was like…I couldn't disobey. No matter how much I wanted to drink his blood, I just couldn't. I couldn't control my actions."

"So what are you saying?"

She was silent for awhile; the tension in the car almost drove me crazy. I was about to repeat my question before she finally answered.

"Ryan, I think…you controlled me."

And there was silence in the car once more.


	5. Gifted

Eternal Night

By: Ryan Reeves

5. Gifted

My mind was buzzing with questions as I processed what Bree had just said to me. I sat in silence for a while before I could formulate an articulate thought once more.

"Controlled? Like Hypnosis or something?"

"Something like that I suppose." She said breathlessly.

The shame of what she had done was still etched into her features. I stared at her for a while wishing I could somehow make her feel better. Then a thought suddenly occurred to me. It was more of a blurred memory than an idea, of an old black and white movie with a black haired man in a cape, luring a woman in a white dress to his side.

"Dracula.." I whispered to no one in particular

"What?" Bree looked at me with confusion in her face.

"Dracula. The Vampire. He could sort of control his victims. So I was thinking. Is what I do something all vampires can do?" I looked at her for support.

"No." she said matter – of- factly "Dracula is fantasy. What you can do. Not many, if any, vampires can. "

I sighed than I suddenly remembered something from a previous conversation I had with Riley. I opened the door of the car and dashed up the front stairs

"What are you going to do?" I heard Bree call out from outside

"Find Riley" I said almost to myself but I knew she would hear me.

I needed to talk to Riley and I wanted to do it before he left. I recalled him mentioning something about vampires with abilities in Forks. Maybe he would have some answers.

It was easy to find his scent inside, even though the house was full of vampires. It looked like there had been another brawl because there was a pile burning in the corner and a thick smoke was eluding from it. Riley's scent came from somewhere upstairs. I gracefully dashed up the stairs and located him in one of the empty bedrooms.

"Riley can I talk to you?" When he looked up, he looked as if he was lost in thought

"Umm sure...but we have to make this quick" his eyes flashed towards the stairs

I ignored that and continued.

"Riley..before you said something about..gifted vampires?"

He eyed me suspiciously. "Um Yeah…I did."

"Well, do you know anything about these gifted vampires?"

He sighed. "Well it's rare, but it is said that certain vampires have…gifts when they are turned...apparently they are intensified traits from your human life."

I pondered that before I continued. _What possible trait in my human life did I possible have that could lead to this? _

I concentrated hard on the fuzzy memories of my human life, which now seemed ages ago, though it had only been a few days. There were times where I could always convince my mom or my dad to let me off the hook early when I was grounded. _I can be very persuasive_. I thought to myself.

Riley seemed to get impatient as he was waiting for me to ask more questions. He kept staring at the stairs as if he would bolt at any given minute. I formulated my next question and finally asked.

"These vampires in…Forks was it? Do you know what any of them can do?"

"We… I mean….I'm not very well informed on that subject matter"

Riley seemed to make a movement toward the stairs. I didn't forget that he had said "We". I wondered if I could press my luck.

"Riley..who is it that you are going to see?"

A flash of what looked like fear or anger crossed Riley's face and just as suddenly as it had come it receded into a face of determined calmness.

"Sorry, but I really need to go."

And with that he ran off down the stairs and out of the house. I debated about whether or not I should follow him or not, but then another thought occurred to me. I remembered how thirsty Bree had been and how I promised to take her hunting.

I found her still sitting in the car, staring out of the window. She looked up when she heard my footsteps.

"So…are you ready to go?"

"Go where?" She asked timidly

"You forgot already! Im taking you hunting! And you are taking me to get new clothes."

A slight smile stretched across her face. I ran around to the driver's side of the car and hopped in.

"So do you know any good hunting spots?"

"Oh the night clubs are always fun!" She said happily. She looked me up and down and then continued. "But maybe we should get you the new clothes first"

I chuckled and we sped off into the night.

We found ourselves in the city 15 shorts minutes later. The sun was gone and the buildings were bustling with nightlife. I scanned the area for a nice department store and settled on a nearby Macy's. Two security guards flanked the entrance.

When I stepped out of the car, my body suddenly seized up. The scent of the security guards sent spasms of pain down my throat. Instantly my body repositioned into a crouch. In a fraction of a second Bree was standing next to me in the same position.

The guards couldn't see us from this distance, but we could see every detail of the guards as if we were standing right in front of them. We could see that one was much taller and skinnier than the other, the shorter more husky guard being a female with russet brown skin and dark hair. We could see their veins under their skin pulsing with blood and hear their heartbeats.

As we crept closer, a million thoughts ran through my mind at once. I thought about each and every way I could kill them without notice, every angle in which to attack, and the best place to sink my teeth. At the same time I was also thinking more rationally, reasons why I shouldn't attack. All the while I was getting closer and closer to the guards, not having made my decision.

Finally the rational thoughts began to win out over my thirst and my body relaxed into a casual walk. Beside me Bree glanced up at me and instantly relaxed. We walked right up to the guards, who stared at us opened mouthed with shock. The female was finally able to speak.

"Si-sir Macy's is closed."

I smiled at her and she gasped. I pointed to my suit before I spoke.

"As you can see I really, need a change of clothes."

It took her a while to reformulate her thoughts. It was amusing to me to see how my looks and voice affected her. The male guard was still staring open mouthed at Bree. It was the female guard who spoke again.

"I really am s-s-sorry sir but we can't let you in."

I thought of ways to end this before their scent made me kill them on the spot. I suddenly remembered the incident with Ray and Bree and I wondered If I could apply my "gift" to this scenario.

"Let us in." I said concentrating on the guards.

The guards looked at each other confused. It was the man who finally spoke up for the first time.

"Like we said before, we are closed." He was trying to sound tough, but his voice cracked on the end.

I concentrated harder my face a composed mask, but my mind was swimming, struggling to find that talent that I knew was there inside. I tried to pull up that feeling of authority I had before.

Suddenly a slight red tint covered my vision and I knew this was it.

"_**Let Us In."**_ I heard the strange authority in my voice before I saw it working.

The two guards' faces were suddenly blank as they turned to unlock the doors and hold them open for us. They said nothing as we glided past them and into the store.

"You know when you do that your eyes kind of glow? It's pretty cool."

I laughed at Bree's comment as she flew past me and headed for the men's clothing racks. She was a blur as she darted from rack to rack pulling off random articles of clothing. Now and then she would disappear and reappear with a shoebox in her hands.

She handed me the mountainous pile of clothes and told me to head to the fitting room. After many outfits and many criticisms by Bree, we both found an outfit we could both agree on.

I was wearing slim fitting black jeans, a form-fitting white t-shirt that accented my new muscles, over top of the t-shirt I was wearing a stylish black vest with an intricate design on the back. The outfit was completed by black and white Chuck Taylor sneakers and a black belt with silver studs all around it.

"This is so much better." I said as I stretched my arms and legs, though it was hardly necessary.

"I agree." Bree said brightly after stepping back to take another look.

Bree had changed too. She was now wearing tight leather pants and a red tank top, her black boots where thigh length and the heels gave her a little more height. Needless to say she was stunning.

When we got back to the entrance, the two guards were back at their post as if nothing had happened. Bree lightly tapped on the door and the two guards turned around astonished at the sight of us. It took them a whole 2 minutes to finally react. They opened the door and proceeded to put us under arrest.

They both recoiled at the touch of our cold skin and that gave us all the time we needed. I heard one of the guards--the female-- calling for back up as we flew across the parking lot, but it was too late we were already across the lot and into the car.

As I peeled out of the parking lot I heard Bree laugh to herself and then she shouted out in amusement. "Next stop, night clubs!"


End file.
